Varaha Purana 149.12: Adhyaya 149, Shloka 12

The Sacred Geography and Merit of Dvārakā

Devanagari script

नारायणवचः श्रुत्वा धर्मकामा वसुन्धरा ॥ उभौ तौ चरणौ गृह्य पुनः पप्रच्छ माधवी ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 149.12

Transliteration

nārāyaṇavacaḥ śrutvā dharmakāmā vasundharā || ubhau tau caraṇau gṛhya punaḥ papraccha mādhavī

Translation

Setelah mendengar sabda Nārāyaṇa, Vasundharā—yang menginginkan dharma—memegang kedua kaki-Nya; kemudian Mādhavī bertanya lagi.

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Word by Word

• nārāyaṇa-vacaḥ: Nārāyaṇa’s words
• nārāyaṇa-vacaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (द्वितीया) Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय), “having heard”

• dharma-kāmā: desiring righteousness
• dharma-kāmā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा) Ekavacana (एकवचन); “desirous of dharma”

• vasundharā: Vasundharā (Earth)
• vasundharā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasundharā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा) Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• ubhau: both
• ubhau: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (द्वितीया) Dvivacana (द्विवचन); agrees with caraṇau

• tau: those two
• tau: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (द्वितीया) Dvivacana (द्विवचन); demonstrative pronoun

• caraṇau: feet
• caraṇau: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (द्वितीया) Dvivacana (द्विवचन)

• gṛhya: having taken/held
• gṛhya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (ग्रह् धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्/य-प्रत्यय), “having taken/holding”

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb “again”

• papraccha: asked
• papraccha: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√prach (प्रच्छ् धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्, Perfect), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथमपुरुष) Ekavacana (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• mādhavī: Mādhavī
• mādhavī: Karta (कर्ता) (apposition to vasundharā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mādhavī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा) Ekavacana (एकवचन); proper name/epithet

Speaker

Narrator (describing Pṛthivī’s action within the dialogue)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Dialogue
• Sanskrit Narrative
• Ethical Inquiry

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a conventional Purāṇic dialogue protocol: respectful approach followed by renewed questioning, structuring the transmission of teaching.

Which geographic location is identified?

No terrestrial location is named; ‘Vasundharā/Mādhavī’ denotes the personified Earth.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse models disciplined inquiry: seeking dharma through attentive listening, respect, and continued questioning.